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In recent years, there has been a shift in the labour market in terms of job searches and candidate searches. In times of skills shortages, recruiters are increasingly shifting their application processes to social networks such as LinkedIn, Xing, Facebook, X or Instagram. In order to maximise the reach of job advertisements, HR departments rely on paid adverts in the feeds of social media platforms.
At the same time, the majority of companies that advertise jobs also check the social media accounts of their applicants for their suitability for the advertised position. This approach is increasingly blurring the line between private and professional matters.
According to a study conducted by the digital association Bitkom in 2022, around 19 per cent of the 854 companies surveyed (one in five companies) have already rejected applicants because of their social media account. On the other hand, one in six companies (16%) stated that they had hired potential applicants precisely because of their online presence. It can therefore be seen that companies often want to get a comprehensive picture of potential applicants and what better way to do this than with the content they post on their own profile. A social media account often reveals much more than a cover letter or CV. This is because private attitudes, activities and hobbies are also much easier to recognise. One in four companies surveyed would also like to get an idea of applicants' political views.
However, a distinction should be made between the different platforms. In a previous study conducted by Bitkom in 2018, professionally orientated platforms such as Xing or LinkedIn were separated from private platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. The majority of HR professionals surveyed (53%) mainly use professional networks to research applicants. However, private platforms such as Facebook, X or Instagram are also frequently accessed by HR professionals (30%). The situation is similar from an applicant's perspective: Around 43% and 29% of respondents in a survey stated that they use the social media platforms Xing and LinkedIn for their job search. Facebook (12.9%), YouTube (6%) and X (2.5%), on the other hand, play a subordinate role. A professional social media profile can therefore open doors and make the application process easier for job seekers. However, content that is not in line with the company's values can also have the opposite effect.
In the following, we briefly present the most important social media platforms and their significance for the job search.
The professional networks Xing and LinkedIn are at the top of job seekers' lists. Both social media channels are clearly professionally oriented and offer users the opportunity to present their qualifications, skills, expertise and professional experience online - creating a highly informative digital CV. Users can also network and exchange information with each other. If a member changes jobs, they can still be reached by their contacts via Xing or LinkedIn.
Xing and LinkedIn differ primarily in terms of their reach and distribution. The Xing network is primarily aimed at users from the German-speaking DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) - a total of around 22.4 million members are online. LinkedIn, on the other hand, originates from the USA and has 850 million members worldwide. In the DACH region, LinkedIn has 24 million users.
Career networks such as Xing and LinkedIn are primarily used by recruiters to check the professional suitability of applicants. Accordingly, most user profiles in these networks are also professionally designed. Applicants have the opportunity to position their Xing and LinkedIn profiles in a targeted manner so that there is a high interface with the desired company.
In addition to influential influencers and millions of "ordinary" people, there are also plenty of recruiters, companies and experts on the social network Instagram. Unlike Xing or LinkedIn, private and professional matters are therefore largely inseparable on Instagram. Holiday photos or videos from the last party are shared on Instagram just as much as pictures from a recently attended trade fair or specialist conference. This mixture of personal and professional impressions can be dangerous for applicants, but also offers opportunities in terms of personal branding: job seekers have the opportunity to present themselves as cosmopolitan, social and professional through a skilful selection of images and establish their own brand.
However, it is usually not easy for future employers to find potential applicants on Instagram. Since there is no obligation to use a real name on the platform, most profiles are created under a user name. However, if you don't want to be found by outsiders, you can set the account privacy to "private", which means that the profile can only be seen by requesting and accepting it.
The X platform, formerly known as Twitter, is nowhere near as popular in Germany as Facebook, Instagram and the like. However, more and more job seekers are using the platform to look for an interesting position. If you enter hashtags such as #job or #joboffer and add the job title or desired city, you will often find interesting offers in your area.
X is primarily known for unusual job offers that are not commonplace. However, companies also often use the platform to announce job vacancies at an early stage. Applicants therefore usually have a head start when they discover interesting offers on X. Caution: If you post messages on X, you need to keep them short and snappy. The messages are always limited to 280 characters. From an applicant's point of view, these should therefore be carefully considered.
Employers generally have the option of obtaining all generally accessible data about applicants on the internet, provided that no personal rights are violated. There are digital pitfalls lurking everywhere for job seekers. To ensure that your online profile does not become a career brake, we list the most important do's and don'ts here.
This is important when looking for a job:
Applicants should not make these digital blunders:
Sharing political opinions: Politics and business are a dangerous mix. It is therefore advisable to avoid sharing political or religious views when looking for a job.
Blaspheme, denounce or argue: No HR recruiter will like it if potential job candidates make unobjective, unfair or argumentative comments on social networks.
Keeping internal company information secret: Anyone who speaks badly about their employer in public on social networks or divulges internal company information is disloyal and is unlikely to attract much interest among recruiters.
Polish up your CV: Anyone on Xing, Linkedin and Co. who polishes up their CV with fictitious certificates or professional stations will quickly fail with recruiters. Nowadays, a lot of information can be quickly checked for its veracity.
Poor spelling: No matter how convincing the last X message may be, spelling and grammar must be correct. Mistakes in sentence structure do not make a good impression on recruiters.
Friend requests: Facebook, X and Instagram are primarily private networks. It is therefore not advisable to send a friend request on Facebook to the company's HR manager before applying. Also with Xing and Linkedin, contact should only be made after getting to know each other in person.
Overall, it is therefore important to be aware of how you maintain your social media profiles and what content you share so as not to unintentionally scare off potential employers. After all, with the right strategy, a social media account can become a positive calling card and not a job killer. It is at least as important for companies to have a well-maintained social media profile. At ARTS, we support our clients in developing an effective employer brand and a professional social media presence.
